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Feldberg (Black Forest)
Encyclopedia
It is not to be confused with the two smaller hills in Hochtaunuskreis
district some 300 km to the North, Kleiner Feldberg
(826 m) and Großer Feldberg
(878 m) in the Taunus
.
The Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Black Forest
and also of Germany outside the Alps
; with an elevation of 1,493 metres. The local municipality
was named after the mountain. Freiburg im Breisgau is the closest city.
, Titisee
, Menzenschwand
, Bernau
and Todtnau
. From the main peak 1,493 m there is a plateau leading 2 km in a south-east direction to the Seebuck peak (1,448 m). From this point, there is a deep valley in north-eastern direction which contains the Feldsee, a lake of glacial origin at about 1,000 m altitude. There are additional deep valleys around the Feldberg, such as the north-western Zastlertal and the south-western Wiesental.
The Feldberg can be reached by car via the B317 (federal highway) running from Titisee
to Lörrach
(Basel) across the Feldberg Pass
. By train the highest station of a standard gauge track of the DB
(Feldberg-Bärental, 967m) is able to be reached. From there exists a bus service. The Seebuck peak (1,448m) can be reached from the valley station by a chairlift. Up there exists a tower. From this point the Feldberg peak is about 2 km away. By the public the peak merely can be reached on foot.
The radio systems of Bundeswehr, the French and US Army from Cold War times got built down in the meantime. The Feldberg is discernible by the old and new television tower and the Bismarck memorial on the Seebuck.
Altogether there are more than 28 ski lifts and slopes around the Feldberg. The Feldberg peak itself is situated outside of any skiing areas. Several loipes around the peak and the Herzogenhorn opposite are siutable for cross-country skiing. It's all a popular area for skiing tours with slopes of alpine character.
For the most part the Feldberg area contents a nature reserve due to its subalpine vegetation. This reserve is the oldest and biggest one in Baden-Württemberg and is in charge of a full-time ranger since 1989. Since 2001 it's the responsibility of the Conservation Centre Südschwarzwald to look after the reserve. Within the Haus der Natur ("House of Nature") there's a permanent exhibition of nature conservation. It offers an extensive program with events in the reserve. Since 2005 there's also a new nature trail.
The Feldberg offers one of the most extensive panoramas of Germany – especially in winter at weather situations of inversion. In the west, on the other side of the Upper Rhine Graben
you can see the entire Vosges Mountains
from the Ballon d'Alsace
up to Mont Donon
and Mont Sainte-Odile
. Beyond that you can also look up to the southern Palatinate Forest occasionally. In the north one can see the Hornisgrinde
; in the north-east there's the entire range of the Swabian Alb
including the Lemberg
mountain, up to the left there's the Hegau
volcano region.
In the south one can see the Alps
from Alpspitze
and Zugspitze
in the east up to the Allgäu Alps
, Verwall Alps
, Silvretta
, Säntis
, Glarus Alps
, Urner Alps
, Bernese Alps
and Mont Blanc
in the west. Besides there are the Jura Mountains
on the right next to the Alps.
contents of Gneiss
. It's around one billion years old. All in all the Feldberg region got lifted up four times and washed away three times. What we see today can be called the „third Feldberg“. The „first Feldberg“ arose in the Precambrian
and got washed away completely. The „second Feldberg“ arose during the Devonian
and Carboniferous
according to the Variscan orogeny
. It got washed away once again during the Mesozoic
and Early Triassic
, Muschelkalk
, Keuper
, Lias
, Dogger
and Malm
were deposited. One part of these sediments are maritime depositions from intercontinental oceans, the other are of continental source. The „third“ current Feldberg arose indirectly according to the Alpine orogeny
in the Tertiary. Meanwhile these sediments got washed away more and more, so today you can see nearly nothing but the bedrock. Currently the Feldberg gets lifted, which is compensated by washing away; this erosion
causes spacious surfaces.
Many non-wooded places content the special qualities of the flora like moors, rock faces and snow fields. Below the peak there's a mixed forest consisting of beech
es, European Rowans, spruce
s, silver fir
s and douglas-fir
s. Glade
s are due to human interventions. So one can see a big woodless area around every hamlet.
That is attributable to the intensive cattle farming in this region. The prevented further wood-growing. Today one come across both pioneer species
like European Rowans and different sorts of shrubs there. On many places there are primeval forests being left to its own resources. A characteristic of the vegetation represent the moor
s.
The mountain is developed by several ran huts called Baldenweger Hütte, Rinkenhütte, Zastler Hütte, St.-Wilhelmer-Hütte and Todtnauer Hütte being connected by trails. Besides there are some asphalt drives to the inns and other local institutions around the peak. The number of visitors is quite high.
Feldberg is the biggest winter skiing resort in Germany outside of the Alps
. The first ski lift
ever was originally built in 1907 in the Feldberg area. Today, there are approximately 14 ski lifts (including 5 at the Seebuck, among them a six-seated chairlift) and over 50 km of alpine trails with up to a black level of difficulty. If there's sufficient snow, even a terrain park may be installed. At the valley station there are several garages for snow groomers and other equipment. Below the old TV tower the mountain rescue service is guarded.
There are also many Nordic ski trails around the peak; two of them are the highest ones of Baden-Württemberg. A part of the cross-country track Schonach-Belchen runs between the Feldberg and Seebuck.
there were many antennas
on a military tower at the peak, but these were removed some years ago. Today there is a big TV- and radio antenna, used by the local public station of SWR (Southwest Broadcasting)
. As well, one can recognize the mountain by the Bismarck
-Denkmal, an old monument in honour of the famous 19th century chancellor
of the German Empire
.
code number: 10908). Next to the observatory there is a weather radar.
Hochtaunuskreis
The Hochtaunuskreis is a Kreis in the middle of Hesse, Germany and is part of the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Neighbouring districts are Lahn-Dill, Wetteraukreis, district-free Frankfurt, Main-Taunus, Rheingau-Taunus, Limburg-Weilburg.The Hochtaunuskreis and the Landkreis Starnberg...
district some 300 km to the North, Kleiner Feldberg
Kleiner Feldberg
The Kleiner Feldberg is with an elevation of the second-highest mountain of the Taunus mountain range in Hesse, Germany. The Großer Feldberg is located in its immediate neighbourhood....
(826 m) and Großer Feldberg
Großer Feldberg
The Großer Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Taunus mountains. It is situated in the Hochtaunuskreis district in Hessen, Germany....
(878 m) in the Taunus
Taunus
The Taunus is a low mountain range in Hesse, Germany that composes part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. It is bounded by the river valleys of Rhine, Main and Lahn. On the opposite side of the Rhine, the mountains are continued by the Hunsrück...
.
The Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Black Forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
and also of Germany outside the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
; with an elevation of 1,493 metres. The local municipality
Feldberg, Baden-Württemberg
Feldberg is a municipality in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is located near the Feldberg. At an elevation of 1277m, it is considered the highest village in Germany.-External links:*...
was named after the mountain. Freiburg im Breisgau is the closest city.
Environment
The Feldberg is situated south-east of Freiburg im Breisgau, surrounded by the communities of HinterzartenHinterzarten
Hinterzarten is a resort village in the Black Forest , located in the southwest of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Although Hinterzarten is mostly famous for its ski jumpers, it also has many tourist attractions .- Hinterzarten :Hinterzarten was founded in 1148...
, Titisee
Titisee
Titisee is a lake in the southern Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg. It is said it got its name from Roman Emperor Titus. It covers an area of 1.3 km² and has an average depth of 20 m. It owes its creation to the Feldberg glacier, the moraine ploughed up by which in the Pleistocene epoch...
, Menzenschwand
St. Blasien
St. Blasien is a town in the Waldshut district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated in the southern Black Forest, 17 km northeast of Waldshut-Tiengen. St. Blaise's Abbey in the Black Forest is located in St. Blasien. The town is twinned with Saint-Blaise in Switzerland. There is also...
, Bernau
Bernau
Bernau may refer to:*Bernau bei Berlin, a town in Brandenburg, Germany*Bernau am Chiemsee, a municipality in the district of Rosenheim in Bavaria, Germany*Bernau im Schwarzwald, a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
and Todtnau
Todtnau
Todtnau is a town in the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. As of 2009 its population was of 4,932.-Geography:It is situated in the Black Forest, on the river Wiese, 20 km southeast of Freiburg....
. From the main peak 1,493 m there is a plateau leading 2 km in a south-east direction to the Seebuck peak (1,448 m). From this point, there is a deep valley in north-eastern direction which contains the Feldsee, a lake of glacial origin at about 1,000 m altitude. There are additional deep valleys around the Feldberg, such as the north-western Zastlertal and the south-western Wiesental.
The Feldberg can be reached by car via the B317 (federal highway) running from Titisee
Titisee
Titisee is a lake in the southern Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg. It is said it got its name from Roman Emperor Titus. It covers an area of 1.3 km² and has an average depth of 20 m. It owes its creation to the Feldberg glacier, the moraine ploughed up by which in the Pleistocene epoch...
to Lörrach
Lörrach
Lörrach is a city in southwest Germany, in the valley of the Wiese, close to the French and the Swiss border. It is the capital of the district of Lörrach in Baden-Württemberg. The biggest industry is the chocolate factory Milka...
(Basel) across the Feldberg Pass
Feldberg Pass
Feldberg Pass is a high mountain pass in the Black Forest in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany.It is south of the Feldberg peak, and the road runs through the town of Feldberg. The Federal Highway B 317 connects Todtnau and Titisee-Neustadt. The maximum grade is 10 percent.-See also:* List...
. By train the highest station of a standard gauge track of the DB
Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn AG is the German national railway company, a private joint stock company . Headquartered in Berlin, it came into existence in 1994 as the successor to the former state railways of Germany, the Deutsche Bundesbahn of West Germany and the Deutsche Reichsbahn of East Germany...
(Feldberg-Bärental, 967m) is able to be reached. From there exists a bus service. The Seebuck peak (1,448m) can be reached from the valley station by a chairlift. Up there exists a tower. From this point the Feldberg peak is about 2 km away. By the public the peak merely can be reached on foot.
The radio systems of Bundeswehr, the French and US Army from Cold War times got built down in the meantime. The Feldberg is discernible by the old and new television tower and the Bismarck memorial on the Seebuck.
Altogether there are more than 28 ski lifts and slopes around the Feldberg. The Feldberg peak itself is situated outside of any skiing areas. Several loipes around the peak and the Herzogenhorn opposite are siutable for cross-country skiing. It's all a popular area for skiing tours with slopes of alpine character.
For the most part the Feldberg area contents a nature reserve due to its subalpine vegetation. This reserve is the oldest and biggest one in Baden-Württemberg and is in charge of a full-time ranger since 1989. Since 2001 it's the responsibility of the Conservation Centre Südschwarzwald to look after the reserve. Within the Haus der Natur ("House of Nature") there's a permanent exhibition of nature conservation. It offers an extensive program with events in the reserve. Since 2005 there's also a new nature trail.
The Feldberg offers one of the most extensive panoramas of Germany – especially in winter at weather situations of inversion. In the west, on the other side of the Upper Rhine Graben
Upper Rhine Graben
The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben is a major rift, straddling the border between France and Germany. It forms part of the European Cenozoic Rift System, which extends across central Europe...
you can see the entire Vosges Mountains
Vosges mountains
For the department of France of the same name, see Vosges.The Vosges are a range of low mountains in eastern France, near its border with Germany. They extend along the west side of the Rhine valley in a northnortheast direction, mainly from Belfort to Saverne...
from the Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace
Ballon d'Alsace is a mountain at the border of Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comté. From its top, views include the Vosges, the Rhine valley, and the Black Forest.A road leads over a pass near the peak at ....
up to Mont Donon
Mont Donon
Mont Donon is the highest peak in the northern Vosges. It is a Category 2 climb in the Tour de France.On Donon, there is a 80 metre tall lattice tower for TV transmission...
and Mont Sainte-Odile
Mont Sainte-Odile
Mont Sainte-Odile is a 760 m peak of the Vosges Mountains in Alsace in France. The mountain is named for Saint Odile...
. Beyond that you can also look up to the southern Palatinate Forest occasionally. In the north one can see the Hornisgrinde
Hornisgrinde
The Hornisgrinde, 1164 m , is the highest mountain in the Northern Black Forest of Germany. The Hornisgrinde lies in northern Ortenaukreis district.- Origin of the name :...
; in the north-east there's the entire range of the Swabian Alb
Swabian Alb
The Swabian Alps or Swabian Jura is a low mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, extending 220 km from southwest to northeast and 40 to 70 km in width. It is named after the region of Swabia....
including the Lemberg
Lemberg (Swabian Alb)
The Lemberg is a mountain located in the Tuttlingen district of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The mountain is the highest point of the Swabian Alps . It is one of the "10 Thousanders"—ten 1,000-metre-high summits of the region...
mountain, up to the left there's the Hegau
Hegau
The Hegau is a formerly volcanic landscape in southern Germany extending around the industrial city of Singen , between Lake Constance in the east, the Rhine River in the south, the Danube River in the north and the Randen—as the southwestern mountains of the Swabian Alb are called—in the west.The...
volcano region.
In the south one can see the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
from Alpspitze
Alpspitze
Alpspitze is a mountain of Bavaria, Germany. At its base is the 'AlpspiX Viewing Platform', 2 curved metal walkways reaching out 13 metres over a cliff, crossing over each other, making the shape of on X.-External Links:*...
and Zugspitze
Zugspitze
The Zugspitze, at 2,962 metres above sea level, is the highest peak of the Wetterstein Mountains as well as the highest mountain in Germany. It lies south of the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and the border between Germany and Austria runs over its western summit. South of the mountain is...
in the east up to the Allgäu Alps
Allgäu Alps
The Allgäu Alps are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance.-Principal summits:-External links:*...
, Verwall Alps
Verwall Alps
The Verwall Alps or Verwall Group are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps at the border of the Austrian states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg.It includes the following peaks:*Patteriol 3,059 metres...
, Silvretta
Silvretta
The Silvretta Alps are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps shared by Tirol, Vorarlberg and Graubünden . The Austrian states of Tirol and Vorarlberg are connected by a pass road . The majority of the peaks are elevated above three thousand metres and are surrounded by glaciers...
, Säntis
Säntis
At 2,502.9 meters above sea level, Säntis is the tallest mountain in the Alpstein massif of northeastern Switzerland. The mountain is a highly visible landmark thanks to its exposed northerly location within the Alpstein massif. As a consequence, houses called Säntisblick can be found in regions...
, Glarus Alps
Glarus Alps
The Glarus Alps are a mountain range in central Switzerland. They extend from the Oberalp Pass to the Klausen Pass, and are bordered by the Urner Alps to the west, the Lepontine Alps to the south and the Appenzell Alps to the northeast...
, Urner Alps
Urner Alps
The Urner Alps are a mountain range in central Switzerland in the western part of the Alps. They extend into the cantons of Obwalden, Valais, Lucerne, Bern, Uri and Nidwalden and are bordered by the Bernese Alps to the west, the Lepontine Alps to the south and the Glarus Alps to the east.The Urner...
, Bernese Alps
Bernese Alps
The Bernese Alps are a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. Although the name suggests that they are located in the Bernese Oberland region of the canton of Bern, portions of the Bernese Alps are in the adjacent cantons of Valais, Lucerne, Obwalden, Fribourg and...
and Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
in the west. Besides there are the Jura Mountains
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
on the right next to the Alps.
Geology
The BedrockBedrock
In stratigraphy, bedrock is the native consolidated rock underlying the surface of a terrestrial planet, usually the Earth. Above the bedrock is usually an area of broken and weathered unconsolidated rock in the basal subsoil...
contents of Gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
. It's around one billion years old. All in all the Feldberg region got lifted up four times and washed away three times. What we see today can be called the „third Feldberg“. The „first Feldberg“ arose in the Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
and got washed away completely. The „second Feldberg“ arose during the Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
and Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
according to the Variscan orogeny
Variscan orogeny
The Variscan orogeny is a geologic mountain-building event caused by Late Paleozoic continental collision between Euramerica and Gondwana to form the supercontinent of Pangaea.-Naming:...
. It got washed away once again during the Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
and Early Triassic
Early Triassic
The Early Triassic is the first of three epochs of the Triassic period of the geologic timescale. It spans the time between 251 ± 0.4 Ma and 245 ± 1.5 Ma . Rocks from this epoch are collectively known as the Lower Triassic, which is a unit in chronostratigraphy...
, Muschelkalk
Muschelkalk
The Muschelkalk is a sequence of sedimentary rock strata in the geology of central and western Europe. It has a Middle Triassic age and forms the middle part of the Germanic Trias, that further consists of the Buntsandstein and Keuper...
, Keuper
Keuper
The Keuper is a lithostratigraphic unit in the subsurface of large parts of west and central Europe. The Keuper consists of dolostone, shales or claystones and evaporites that were deposited during the Middle and Late Triassic epochs...
, Lias
Lias
Lias may refer to:*In geology:**The Lias Group, a group in the stratigraphy of Great Britain, formed during the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic epochs. It includes the Blue Lias and White Lias...
, Dogger
Dogger
Dogger can mean:-*A sea area in the North Sea, noted in shipping forecasts, named after:**The Dogger Bank, a large shallow area in the North Sea between Britain and Denmark...
and Malm
Malm
is a former municipality, a village, and the administrative centre of the municipality of Verran in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Malm is located along the Trondheimsfjord, about a drive west from the town of Steinkjer. The village of Malm has a population of 1,572. The population density of...
were deposited. One part of these sediments are maritime depositions from intercontinental oceans, the other are of continental source. The „third“ current Feldberg arose indirectly according to the Alpine orogeny
Alpine orogeny
The Alpine orogeny is an orogenic phase in the Late Mesozoic and Tertiary that formed the mountain ranges of the Alpide belt...
in the Tertiary. Meanwhile these sediments got washed away more and more, so today you can see nearly nothing but the bedrock. Currently the Feldberg gets lifted, which is compensated by washing away; this erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
causes spacious surfaces.
Climate
The annual mean temperature is around 3 °C. The mean annual rainfall is 2,114 mm. The climate is sub-Atlantic, temperature gradients are lower than in the valley. During winter the condensation point is quite high caused by the long sunshine. While on the mountain it's relatively mild, in the valleys around one can notice significant colder temperatures. The lowest temperature ever recorded occurred on 10 February 1956 being −30.7 °C. The years' average rain-/snowfall amount is 1909 mm. The only month to never have had snow recorded on the summit is August. Due to long years' average there's a blanket of snow in 157 days per year. Because of the exposed situation, there are wind speeds up to 130 km/h possible throughout the year.Vegetation
The Feldberg peak isn't wooded as the name suggests. However, the sharp transition to forest illustrate it's no natural border. Even caused by the height the mountain wouldn't be woodless. In this region the tree line would occur only at about 1.650–1.700 m.Many non-wooded places content the special qualities of the flora like moors, rock faces and snow fields. Below the peak there's a mixed forest consisting of beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
es, European Rowans, spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
s, silver fir
Silver Fir
Abies alba, commonly known as the European silver fir, is a fir native to the mountains of Europe, from the Pyrenees north to Normandy, east to the Alps and the Carpathians, and south to southern Italy and northern Serbia.-Description:...
s and douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
s. Glade
Glade (geography)
A glade or clearing is an open area within a woodland. Glades are often grassy meadows under the canopy of deciduous trees such as red alder or quaking aspen in western North America. They also represent openings in forests where local conditions such as avalanches, poor soils, or fire damage have...
s are due to human interventions. So one can see a big woodless area around every hamlet.
That is attributable to the intensive cattle farming in this region. The prevented further wood-growing. Today one come across both pioneer species
Pioneer species
Pioneer species are species which colonize previously uncolonized land, usually leading to ecological succession. They are the first organisms to start the chain of events leading to a livable biosphere or ecosystem...
like European Rowans and different sorts of shrubs there. On many places there are primeval forests being left to its own resources. A characteristic of the vegetation represent the moor
Moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat, in the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome, found in upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils and heavy fog...
s.
Summer
Today tourism is the main source of income in the Feldberg region.The mountain is developed by several ran huts called Baldenweger Hütte, Rinkenhütte, Zastler Hütte, St.-Wilhelmer-Hütte and Todtnauer Hütte being connected by trails. Besides there are some asphalt drives to the inns and other local institutions around the peak. The number of visitors is quite high.
Winter
See also: List of ski resorts in the German Central UplandsFeldberg is the biggest winter skiing resort in Germany outside of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. The first ski lift
Ski lift
The term ski lift generally refers to any transport device that carries skiers up a hill. A ski lift may fall into one of the following three main classes:-Lift systems and networks:...
ever was originally built in 1907 in the Feldberg area. Today, there are approximately 14 ski lifts (including 5 at the Seebuck, among them a six-seated chairlift) and over 50 km of alpine trails with up to a black level of difficulty. If there's sufficient snow, even a terrain park may be installed. At the valley station there are several garages for snow groomers and other equipment. Below the old TV tower the mountain rescue service is guarded.
There are also many Nordic ski trails around the peak; two of them are the highest ones of Baden-Württemberg. A part of the cross-country track Schonach-Belchen runs between the Feldberg and Seebuck.
Television towers
During the Cold WarCold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
there were many antennas
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
on a military tower at the peak, but these were removed some years ago. Today there is a big TV- and radio antenna, used by the local public station of SWR (Southwest Broadcasting)
Südwestrundfunk
The Südwestrundfunk is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has main offices in three cities: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Mainz, with the director's office being in Stuttgart. It is an...
. As well, one can recognize the mountain by the Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
-Denkmal, an old monument in honour of the famous 19th century chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
.
Meteorological station
At the top of the mountain (where the weather has been measured since 1915) is a weather observatory that has been in operation since 1937 and carried on by the German meteorological service (WMOWorld Meteorological Organization
The World Meteorological Organization is an intergovernmental organization with a membership of 189 Member States and Territories. It originated from the International Meteorological Organization , which was founded in 1873...
code number: 10908). Next to the observatory there is a weather radar.